Come Someday
by LilyGhost
Summary: Stephanie spends the night with Ranger, but is one night all it is or is there a chance for more? This is the first in a five part story series that chronicles Stephanie and Ranger's growing relationship.
1. Chapter 1

**I wrote this story a while ago, and it was my first ever attempt at writing a Janet Evanovich fanfic. I hadn't planned on posting it, but I've since written other Ranger/Stephanie stories after they had gotten together and this was the starting point, so I decided to post it before any of the others. It's a two chapter one-shot. I tried keeping as close to Janet's books as possible, so all familiar characters, places, and phrases belong to her. Any mistakes are mine.**

**Warnings for smut.**

It was late by the time Ranger drove me home after a particularly long stakeout. He turned off Hamilton, wound his way through a couple side-streets before parking next to my car in the lot of my apartment building. I opened the passenger side door and was about to drag myself out of the Turbo when Ranger wrapped his hand around my wrist, stopping me. I looked over at him with eyebrows raised.

"I'm going to walk you up to your apartment. I don't want to worry that someone is in there waiting for you."

I sent him a small smile."I appreciate the sentiment, but you don't have to worry about me," I told him."I'll be okay."

"Yeah," Ranger said."I've heard that before. Usually someone has kidnapped you an hour after you saying it."

I did a mental grimace and got out of the car. He was right. What could I say?

Ranger remoted his car locked, wrapped an arm around my shoulders, and ushered me into my building. He took my keys from me and after unlocking my door, flipped the lights on and looked around. Thankfully, there was nothing breathing except for Rex in the kitchen. Ranger motioned me in when he saw that no one was hiding out in the living room. I didn't really want to see if there was anyone in my bedroom, so I chose to stay close to the door while Ranger checked out under the bed, my closet, and the bathroom.

"Just you and me," Ranger said, when he came back a few minutes later.

I was still standing in my foyer, scared to come in now for a completely different reason. Ranger in my apartment, late at night, just the two of us, had all the makings of an emotional atom bomb. I wanted him bad, but I couldn't stop myself from thinking about the problems I'd face tomorrow.

Ranger crooked his finger at me."Come here," he said.

I bit into my lower lip. My usual response to this was, _'NO WAY_!', but tonight the words just wouldn't come. I just stood there gnawing on my lower lip, looking confused.

Ranger must have sensed I was waivering, because he took the decision out of my hands. He crossed the room to me, gently cupped my face in his hands, and kissed me. The kiss started off soft, but didn't stay that way very long. And when Ranger traced my lips with his tongue before sliding past them, I'd decided that I didn't care a whole lot about tomorrow. I wanted this night with him, and I'd worry about everything else later. As soon as I gave myself permission to let go, I leaned into Ranger, and kissed him back with all the pent up feelings that I'd been holding inside. Things moved quickly after that. Ranger wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me two inches off the floor. Without breaking from the kiss he started walking towards the bedroom. When Ranger stopped we were standing next to my bed. He released me slowly forcing me to slide down the front of his body and I could tell right away that I wasn't the only one affected by the contact. Our eyes caught and held for a long moment. I think Ranger was giving me a chance to change my mind if I needed to, but the thought never entered my mind. To reassure him of that, I kissed him lightly on the mouth before moving my lips lower to kiss his chin. I kissed my way across his jawline as I slid my hands down his chest, feeling the well-formed muscles under my hands. I stopped at the waistband of his cargo pants, resting my fingertips against buckle of his belt. The next thing I knew, I was flat on my back in bed minus my clothes. I don't remember that happening, but I was guessing that Ranger's quick when properly motivated. Ranger unclipped his cell phone and placed it on my nightstand along with the gun he was carrying at the small of his back. He stripped and joined me on the bed, his eyes never leaving mine. He gathered me into him and kissed me again. l felt a wave of desire wash over me and settle low in my belly. I tangled my fingers into his hair as his mouth started moving south. Ranger kissed a path down my neck to my collar bone, across my breasts, giving my nipples extra attention before continuing on. He kissed my stomach and I felt the heat of Ranger's tongue at my navel. He scraped his teeth gently across my hip bones before moving lower. When his mouth touched me, I couldn't stop my eyes from rolling back into my head. Then I felt him come inside me. I had always thought my memories of our night together, though a while ago, were amazingly accurate. But the memories couldn't hold a candle to what I was feeling now.

Afterwards, we laid there quietly while our breathing slowed. A few minutes had passed when I felt Ranger's lips on my neck and his hand sweeping the length of my body.

I looked over at him, "Again?" I asked.

Ranger pressed a light kiss to my lips. "Again," he repeated, his lips brushing against mine. His hand settled on my breast and I thought, _again_ it is.

I woke to the sound of an alarm going off. The room was still dark, and I was far from being awake. I lifted my head up and squinted at the clock. It was five in the morning, and I was completely wrapped around Ranger. My face was pressed into his neck, our legs tangled, and his arms were around me. I glanced up and found Ranger watching me intently, a slight smile hovering on his lips. I was reminded of where those lips had been last night and I shivered.

"Morning, babe," Ranger said.

"Good morning," I said, looking again at the clock."How long have you been awake?" I asked Ranger.

"Half hour or so," Ranger said.

Oh great, I thought. I could have been doing_ anything _in my sleep; talking, snoring, drooling, but since he was still in my bed I guess I wasn't doing anything _too_ horrible.

"Early meeting?" I asked.

"I have to go back to my apartment to shower and change clothes before I start work. I wanted a chance to talk to you before I leave."

"Oh. What about?"

This got me a smile."I'm fine," I told Ranger."I made a choice last night and I don't regret it. We'll figure the rest out later."

Ranger pulled me close and kissed me. His hands were moving down my body, but Ranger stopped himself before he got to any of the really good parts."I have to go. We'll finish this when there's more time," he said, and slid out of bed.

Something _definitely_ to look forward to, I thought, as I watched Ranger throw on his clothes. He leaned over me, brushed his lips against mine, and gave my body a heated glance before disappearing out the door.

I stayed in bed for a while after Ranger left. I was hoping for more sleep, but it wouldn't come. I figured it wouldn't be a good idea to overthink last night, so I heaved myself

out of bed, and headed for the coffee maker.

I was standing in my kitchen drinking coffee, thinking about my plans for the day. I needed to keep busy, or at the very least, I needed a distraction. I thought about it for a minute, and heading over to the office seemed to be the answer. If anyone had the power to distract me, it would be Lula. And, at the same time, I could check in with Connie to see if there any new cases for me.

I took a shower, did the whole hair and make-up thing, adding extra mascara to boost my confidence level, and got dressed in my usual uniform of jeans, stretchy t-shirt, and boots. I gave a grape and corn chip to Rex on my way out, and said a silent prayer that no one would break into my apartment while I was gone.

Ten minutes later, I was at the bonds office. Connie was at her desk doing her nails, and Lula was stretched out on the office's fake leather couch.

"It's only nine o'clock and you're already taking a nap?" I asked Lula.

"Do I look like I'm sleeping?" Lula asked."I'll have you know, I'm doing some serious thinkin' here."

"Yeah," Connie said, rolling her eyes."She's trying to decide what to have for breakfast. A bag of doughnuts, or a greasy egg sandwich."

"You saying what to eat for breakfast ain't serious?" Lula demanded.

I walked over to Connie's desk and put my bag down."What's to decide? You get both. Everyone knows that. You eat the sandwich first, and then you start on the doughnuts. If you can't finish them, then you'll have a snack for later without having to haul your butt back to the bakery."

"Damn," Lula said."You're good."

"It's all the years that I've spent consuming large quantities of food without actually exploding," I told Lula. I thought that if the Burg ever had it's own version of the Olympic games, the main sport would be gorging.

I turned back to Connie, "Anything new for me?" I asked.

"Two skips," Connie said."A low-level drug dealer. And a guy who likes to flash people when he's drunk."

"Great," I said."One's probably carrying a gun. And the other has a gun that I don't want to see first thing in the morning."

"Look on the bright side," Lula said,"at least this time the guy's not real old."

I felt an involuntary shudder go through me as a picture of Norman Landski popped into my head. Lula and me picked him up a month ago when he skipped out on his court date. He didn't want to go back to jail. He also didn't want to put any pants on. Mother nature had not been kind to him, or us for that matter, since we had to see what seventy-five years can do to a body.

I was at Connie's desk looking through the files when I saw her look toward the front door and go still. Lula jumped up from the couch and started checking out her clothes, I guess, to make sure that her spandex hadn't shifted sometime during her breakfast debate. My brain was a little slow today, but it didn't take a genius to figure out that Ranger was here. My heart was pounding as I looked toward the door and watched him walk in. Here's the thing about Ranger, no matter how long you've known him, your breath still catches when he enters a room. And having seen him naked, and what he can do when he's naked, my breath seemed to be less on the _catching_ side and more on the _panting_ side.

"Babe," Ranger said, when he reached me.

He was standing pressed against my back with his hand on my shoulder. Ranger doesn't normally leave any space between us, but after last night I was having more of a reaction to the contact than usual.

He dropped a body receipt down on Connie's desk."I picked up Manuel Bentas yesterday. You can mail the check to Rangeman," Ranger said."Tank said you have someone else for me?"

"Robbie Sampson," Connie said, "Possession of an illegal substance. He had enough heroin on him to make half of Jersey _happy_."

Ranger always got the big bonds. That's fine with me, since I can barely manage to capture pantless old guys.

Ranger moved his hand to my waist as he reached around me to sign his name to the contract. He nodded to Connie and Lula when he was done, tightened his hold on me for a minute, then he was gone.

"Whew," Lula said, fanning herself. "That man is so hot. It's like I swallowed my tongue, or somethin'. I couldn't talk."

I had to agree. Ranger was hot. And I couldn't talk, either, but for a whole other reason. Ranger didn't act any different towards me. Not that I expected him to, but still, I guess I was expecting _something. _I had to remind myself that Ranger wasn't Morelli. Unless Joe had his cop face on, you could tell exactly what was on his mind. Ranger was the opposite. He never shows emotion. And he never lets you know what he's thinking. And if he was going to say something, it wasn't going to be in the office with Connie and Lula listening. The logical part of my brain knew this, but it was the irrational part of my brain that I was having a hard time convincing. Stephanie, Stephanie, Stephanie, I said to myself, you're the one who told him we would deal with things later. Just let this go for now and wait till it's just the two of you are alone to discuss it.

Yeah, right. Who was I kidding? I've never been that mature. And I had no plans to start today.

"I'll be right back," I told Connie and Lula, and hurried out after Ranger.

I was mentally telling myself to get a grip. It was only one night. But I'd been here before, and the day after hadn't been all that great. I suspected my rushing out the door had a lot to do with needing reassurance that this wasn't going to be a repeat performance. My fears were under control this morning but now, a couple hours later, I was back to being unsure.

When I got outside the office, I looked around and saw Ranger leaning against his truck. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he was obviously waiting for me. I saw the slight smile hovering at the corners of his mouth and my doubts disappeared. Again. Temporarily.

"How did you know that I would follow you out?" I asked Ranger when I reached him.

He wrapped his arms around me, and pulled me flat against him."You can't keep your hands off me, Babe."

"Hah. It seems to me, that_ you're _the one with the wandering hands." I said to him, even as I reached my arms up to wrap around his neck.

"What are your plans for the day?" Ranger asked me.

"Connie gave me two new skips this morning, but I have a few days to catch them. Why?"

"I have meetings scheduled until two o'clock this afternoon. You could meet me at Rangeman and have a late lunch."

"I don't know," I said, brushing my lips lightly across Ranger's."I might need some kind of incentive to change my schedule just for lunch."

Ranger looked at me for a moment."Incentive?" he said, "I'll see what I can do."

He turned me so that I was pressed against his truck, lowered his mouth to mine, and kissed me. My arms slid down from around his neck and my hands gripped the front of his shirt when he deepened the kiss. Ranger's mouth stayed on mine till I saw stars. I wasn't sure if the stars were due to lack of oxygen, or if I was going to have an orgasm for the first time on a public street.

Ranger broke from the kiss and smiled down at me. I suddenly realized that sometime during the kiss, Ranger had slid his hands under my T-shirt and they were now wrapped around my bare waist. It's a good thing, too. His hands were probably the only thing holding me upright. My legs having buckled five minutes ago.

"Now about that schedule?" Ranger said.

I looked up at him confused, my brain still not quite in working order. "What schedule?" I asked him.

Ranger laughed softly at me."Two o'clock. Don't be late."

He gave me a light kiss goodbye, angled into his truck, and pulled away from the curb. I watched him drive off and thought for once in my life I might be early for something.

I turned to go back to the office and saw Lula and Connie with their noses pressed to the window. They were staring out at me with their mouths hanging open, their eyes _huge. _I briefly considered jumping in my car before I had to answer any questions about what just happened. Unfortunately, I left my bag with my keys in it on Connie's desk so there was no escape in my future.

When I entered the office Lula was up first."What the hell was that?" she yelled.

"What?" I asked.

That got me a death glare from both of them. "Okay," I said to her,"Ranger and I are sort of seeing each other."

"Sort of? What does that mean?" Connie asked.

"It means we're seeing each other naked, but I'm not sure about anything else right now."

Connie and Lula were both quiet for a minute. If I had to take a guess, it would be that they took a moment to fully appreciate the thought of Ranger naked. Lula was fanning herself with a file from the desk and Connie was biting her lip, looking flushed. I had to admit, I was feeling a little warm at the thought, too.

Connie got herself under control. "When did this happen?'' She asked.

"Last night."

"Guess that means Morelli don't know yet." Lula said.

"Morelli and I are over for good this time," I told them."He's probably already seeing someone else. He wouldn't care." At least, I hoped he wouldn't care.

"You sure don't know much about men." Lula said to me.

"Lula's right," Connie said."Do you honestly think Morelli's not gonna have something to say about you sleeping with Ranger?"

"I was hoping," I said.

"That'll get you far," Lula said.

"Weren't you on your way out to get breakfast?" I asked Lula.

"Don't go pulling no attitude with me. I'm doing you a favor here waiting to see if you need my help today before I leave."

"Yeah right," I said to Lula."You were just hoping I'd keep you out of the office all day, so you wouldn't have to do any actual work."

"Fuckin' A," Lula said.

"Well I can't today, I've only got until two to get a lead on one of these guys," I said, holding up the files."I was going to head back to my apartment and start making some calls. Maybe I'll get lucky for once and get something useful from a friend or family member."

"What's so important at two o'clock?" Lula asked.

"I'm meeting Ranger at Rangeman," I said.

"Oh boy," Connie said.

"Well?" Lula asked.

"Well, what?" I asked. I was glad Connie had just finished her nails, otherwise I think she would have been tempted to smack me.

"Details, Steph." Connie said."You have to give us details. We're dying here."

"Speak for yourself," Lula said."I want pictures."

"I _never_ give you details," I told them. I wasn't going to touch the picture comment.

"Well, you're gonna have to give us _something_," Lula said.

I was thinking of a way out of this, but I couldn't seem find one. Nothing new there.

I blew out a sigh."Okay," I said."How about this? No matter how good your imagination is when it comes to Ranger, and what he'd be like, you still wouldn't be disappointed by the reality."

"_Dang_," Connie and Lula said in unison.

And while they were distracted by that thought, I grabbed my bag and got my butt out of the office and into my car before they could ask me anything else, and headed home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Warnings for more smut. Same disclaimers apply.**

As I hung up the phone I glanced down at my watch. It was now twenty minutes till two. I shut my computer down, grabbed my coat and bag, and took the elevator two floors down to the lobby. As far as mornings went this one hadn't been too bad. I didn't come away with a lot of information, but I did get the name of the bar where my flasher hangs out. There's nothing better than arresting drunk guys. Okay, what I meant was, I like nothing better than arresting drunk guys who also didn't have a history of being crazy. With most drunks all you do is sit and wait outside their home, or outside a bar, until they drank themselves unconscious. Then you just haul their unconscious bodies back to jail. Easy money. But on rare occasions, or in my case not so rare, you come across guys who would like nothing better than to try to light you on fire, or chase you around with a chainsaw after an all night bender. It sounds a little far-fetched, I know, but I've had both of these things happen to me before. And I'm not anxious to repeat either one.

I got into my car and set out for Rangeman. I used the ten minute drive to do a little self-analysis. I know Ranger loves me, but he's been clear in the past about not wanting to be in a serious relationship. Am I ready for the possibility that Ranger views this as casual sex? And on the flip side, what if he decided he wanted a relationship? Would I be willing to commit to a guy I didn't really know that much about? It was hard enough being involved with Morelli, and we'd known each other since we were kids. I didn't have a ready answer for any of these questions, so I went the denial route and told myself it was just a lunch date and nothing more.

I fobbed my way into the underground garage and parked in one of Ranger's private spaces. I waved at the security camera that was pointed at me in the elevator, keyed my way up to Ranger's seventh floor apartment, and knocked on the door. When there was no response I figured Ranger was probably running late, so I let myself into his apartment to wait. As soon as I stepped into the hall, I could tell right away that Ranger might not have been here, but Ella had. I could smell something amazing coming from the kitchen, so that's where I headed.

A few minutes after I had thoroughly checked out Ella's offering, the apartment door opened and I heard Ranger's keys land in the silver tray by the door. A beat later he was standing across from me in the kitchen. Our eyes met and held. And as delicious as Ella's lunch probably was, I was no longer interested in it.

"You have a choice," Ranger said, his eyes still on me. "Lunch first or dessert?"

I looked at the tray Ella brought up. There was no dessert anywhere around. "What dessert?"

Ranger smiled. Not the usual half smile, either. This was the full on, eyes crinkling at the corners, smile. And it was directed at me. No translation needed. I was on the dessert menu. Even though we spent last night together I could feel my face, along with other parts of me, heating up.

Ranger crossed the room to where I was standing. "You're cute when you blush like that," he said, running his fingers through my curls.

I narrowed my eyes at him, "_Cute_?" I know cute wasn't considered an insult, but it was a word I would never willingly use to describe myself. Children were cute. Kittens were cute. Bathrooms were cute. A woman should be described as sexy, or hot, or irresistable. Not_ cute_.

"You're also cute when get mad," Ranger said, brushing kisses along my cheek.

Okay, maybe cute wasn't so bad. And the way Ranger was pressed up against me wasn't bad either. I could feel every muscle in his chest, felt his heart beating. And I could also feel the result of us being this close together.

By the time Ranger got to my mouth I was pretty sure I was melting. I knew people could spontaneously combust, but I've never heard about anyone actually melting. I think I was as close as anyone could get. He kissed me, and when his tongue met mine I had to wrap my arms around his waist just to stay standing.

Ranger broke from the kiss, "Lunch or dessert?" He asked again, his lips brushing my ear.

"Dessert," I said. "Definitely dessert."

"Good answer," he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward his bedroom.

I've stayed in Ranger's apartment a lot. And I've spent a considerable amount of time in his bed, but this will be the first time I'll be in his bed with him on a more than platonic basis. Ranger's bed had three hundred thread count sheets. The pillows were soft and smooth. And his quilt was just the right thickness. I thought sleeping in it was as close to heaven as you could get. I had a feeling my opinion about the bed was about to improve.

Ranger kicked his boots off and pulled his shirt over his head. I stood there and stared as his pants and socks were added to the shirt on the floor. He was perfection. He was deliciously muscled, had flawless dark skin, and he always smelled great. The only fault that I could find with him was that he was too far away. That problem was soon solved when Ranger used the front of my shirt to pull me to him before he discarded it. His mouth was back on mine, and he had me so distracted I almost didn't notice the loss of my bra. I did, however, notice when his hands moved to the waistband of my jeans and I felt them, along with my underwear, slide down my body to join his clothes on the floor. His hands were firm on my waist as he lowered me onto the bed. Ranger followed me down, his body half covering mine. His lips were pressed against my lips, and his hands were moving from my breasts, slowly down past my stomach, and continued going lower still. I used to think that Ranger's fingers were best at picking locks and pulling triggers. I now knew, my nails digging into his back, that Ranger's fingers were way better at something else entirely.

"Wow," I said, when I found my voice.

Ranger was busy kissing the spot on my neck where my pulse was frantically beating. He stopped for a second and looked at me. "There's more where that came from, Babe," he said. His lips returned to my neck, then followed the same path his hands had taken moments before.

Ranger's mouth stayed on my body. I was sure that there wasn't a part of me that didn't receive his full attention. And when he put his mouth to me for the third time, I think I may have lost consciousness. When my breath finally decided to come back into my body, I opened my eyes and looked up at Ranger. His eyes were dilated black, and there was a slight sheen of sweat covering his skin. I could feel him pressing against me and knew he was close to letting go, but still didn't seem to be in any hurry. I thought it only fair to speed him up a bit. I ran my hands along his shoulders, down his chest, and then wrapped my hand around him. Ranger's mouth was inches from mine, and I felt his swift intake of air as I ran my thumb over him. Then it was my turn to catch my breath as Ranger came inside me. He told me a while ago, jokingly, that his ass wasn't his best part. Ranger wasn't joking. I can happily agree with him that his ass, although pretty damn fantastic on it's own, was indeed not his best part.

Hours later I was laying across Ranger's chest, my head pillowed on my hands."Where do we go from here?" I asked Ranger.

"We're already in bed," Ranger said,"but I guess we could try out the bathroom or kitchen."

I smacked him lightly on the chest."I'm trying to have a serious conversation here! Connie and Lula saw us together outside of the bonds office this morning. That means I'll be getting a call from my mother and grandmother tonight to ask if it's true. And by tomorrow morning the whole Burg will know."

"And?" Ranger said.

"You don't care that people will think we're a couple?" I asked Ranger.

"In case you haven't noticed, Babe, I'm not real concerned about what people think of me."

"What about my family?" I asked Ranger."They'll be expecting you to come to family dinners. And you can only use the excuse that you're working so many times before they figure out you're avoiding them."

"You come from a scary family, Babe," Ranger said,"but I've dealt with worse. You could help the situation by getting your grandmother to stop picturing me naked whenever she sees me."

I burst out laughing. "Sorry," I said to Ranger."God himself couldn't stop her from doing that. It's the price you have to pay for being hot. Woman are going to picture you naked, so you're just going to have to get used to it."

"You think I'm hot?"

Was he kidding? If you looked up '_hot guy' _in the dictionary you would find a picture of Ranger."Well you do have a cool car," I told him."That helps."

Ranger smiled at me.

The other major problem, aside from my family, was how Morelli would react when he finds out about Ranger and me. What if Lula was right and Morelli tries to confront Ranger? I bit into my lower lip, trying to think of a way to voice my concern without making the moment awkward.

"_Now_ what are you worried about?" Ranger asked me.

"Joe's reaction," I said. "You don't think he'll come after you, do you? I don't want him to get himself hurt."

"I've always known that his biggest issue with me has never been about how I run my business," Ranger said."I can deal with him without having to touch him. The question is, can you?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"It means," Ranger said to me,"that I'm not going to be a happy man if I see him with his hands on you."

I had a feeling that was a_ huge _understatement.

"Isn't that a double standard?" I asked him."Your hands were always on me even when I was with Morelli."

"That was different," Ranger said."I was just pointing you in the right direction."

"And you're saying that you're the right direction?" I asked him.

"Yes."

"Just out of curiousity, why do you think you're better than Joe?"

"I don't give ultimatums. I'm not going to tell you to quit your job. Or demand that you change your life for me," Ranger said."But if I do feel like you're in danger, I will get involved whether you want me to or not."

"Fair enough," I said."What happens if things don't work out between us? We work together, too. If we drive each other nuts, who would I call if I needed help?"

"I'll stick Tank with you," Ranger said.

I made a face. Tank is strong, trustworthy, and can handle just about anything. That doesn't mean, however, that he's a fun guy to be around. Tank doesn't talk. And I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm a royal pain in the ass most of the time.

"I'm kidding," Ranger said. "I've been with you from the beginning, Babe. I don't see that changing whether or not we're sleeping together."

"Good to know," I said to Ranger."But if you do have to send someone how about Ramon or Lester? They're nice to look at."

Ranger pulled on my hair and gave me a dark look. "You want to be careful," he said to me."I can hire someone permanently to watch you who I guarantee won't be nice to look at."

I knew most of the guys that work for Ranger and the majority of them were scarier than hell. I'd hate to see who Ranger would hire next.

"On second thought," I said, "Tank might miss hanging out with me. Maybe we should hold off on the scary guard thing for now."

I lifted my head off of Ranger's chest to look at the clock on the bedside table. It was after six."Looks like we'll be having leftovers for supper," I said to Ranger. "We never did get around to eating lunch".

"Are you hungry?" Ranger asked me.

"Yeah."

"I guess I'd better feed you then," Ranger said to me."I know how you get when you haven't eaten. And my plans for you this evening don't include you being cranky."

"Would these plans be the same as your afternoon plans?"

"Babe, it took this long to get you into my bed. I'm not about to let you out of it till I have to."

I wasn't sure if I should be worried or excited. Ranger slipped out of bed and I watched him put his pants on _commando_. If it wasn't for the multiple orgasm afternoon I'd just had, I would have pulled him back into the bed, but since I was hungry I decided to drag myself _out_ of it, instead. I looked around for something to wear and Ranger's discarded T-shirt was the closest thing to me, so I picked it up off the floor and put it on. It was miles too big, but it was comfy and still smelled faintly of Ranger's Bulgari shower gel. Ranger took my hand as we left the bedroom and led me to the kitchen.

I put the plates Ella had brought up in the microwave while Ranger uncorked a bottle of wine and poured us each a glass."How did your meetings go?" I asked Ranger, as I was setting the food out on the breakfast bar.

"Good," Ranger said."I landed two new accounts and I'm one step closer to selling the Atlanta company. How was your day?"

"I got a lead on one of my skips," I told him."I found out the name of the bar on Stark Street where my flasher hangs out."

"You're not planning on going to Stark Street alone, are you?" Ranger asked me.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Let's talk about your history on Stark Street," Ranger said."You met Ramirez there. And as a result of that you were stalked twice. More than one of your cars had been stolen or have received a new paint job. You pissed off a gang and had a contract taken out on you. And most recently, your grandmother had to shoot a guy's ear off to keep you from being dragged out of your car. And don't forget that you were covered head to toe with paint from a guy shooting at you with a paintball gun."

"The paintball thing doesn't count. You were with me at the time." I said to Ranger."And some good things have happened on Stark Street."

"Name one," Ranger said.

"I met Lula there. And I never would have met her if it wasn't for the Ramirez thing."

"And you consider meeting Lula a good thing?"

I thought about it for a second. Lula could be a royal pain at times, but she's been there for me when I needed her. And I couldn't see my day to day life without her."Yes, I do."

"You're still not going there without me or one of my men," Ranger said.

"Did anyone ever tell you that you can be unreasonable at times?" I said to Ranger."I'll be fine. And look at it this way, I've never been shot on Stark Street but I was shot twice in my own apartment. So, statistically speaking, I'm safer sitting outside the bar."

I thought it was a good point but Ranger didn't look convinced. I blew out a sigh, "I'm not going anywhere right now so let's not spoil the rest of the night by arguing about my safety," I said to Ranger.

"All right," Ranger said, standing up,"but I'm not going to change my mind. And we will be arguing about it tomorrow."

I put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and turned back to Ranger. "You're such a bully," I said to him.

"And?"

I rolled my eyes at him and went back to my seat, and my wine.

"Are you ready for more dessert?" Ranger asked me.

"For someone who never eats dessert," I said to Ranger, "you seem awful interested in it all of a sudden."

Ranger smiled at me. Ranger thought I was amusing.

"What have you got?" I asked him. "Birthday cake? Brownies? Ice cream?"

"I've got something better," Ranger said to me.

This was true. And that was saying something. Not many things could top birthday cake. Ranger scooped me up off of the kitchen stool where I had been sitting, and carried me into the bedroom. Seconds after being tossed onto the bed, Ranger's clothes hit the floor for the second time.

Something was dragging me awake, I opened my eyes and squinted into the room. The bedroom was still dark, and the alarm on Ranger's bedside table was ringing.

"Ulk," I said. Not having had a lot of sleep last night, I closed my eyes and snuggled closer to Ranger trying to ignore it. Ranger reached out to turn the alarm off then gathered me to him.

"What time is it?" I asked him.

"A little before five," he said.

"In the morning!"

"Yeah. And as much as I'd like to stay in bed with you, I have to go to work."

"You only work two floors down. What's with setting your alarm for the middle of the night?" I asked him.

"It's not the middle of the night," Ranger said."And I like to do things early."

"What kind of things," I asked.

Ranger's hand found my breast."Would you like me to demonstrate the things I'd like to do," Ranger asked, brushing his thumb across my nipple."Or just tell you about them?"

Desire spread through my body, but I knew there wasn't enough time to do anything about it."You still have to shower and get dressed," I said."You'll be late."

"Not if you shower with me," Ranger said to me.

"Nice try. But Ella should be here soon with breakfast and she might get the wrong idea about me."

"And that would be what?" Ranger asked.

I knew that Ella, and the rest of the building for that matter, thought Ranger and I have been sleeping together all along. But, now that we seem to be starting some sort of relationship, their opinion of me seems to matter more. I didn't want to become the subject of the Rangeman rumor mill.

"That I'm easy," I said. "And cheap."

"Steph," Ranger said, "You're many things, but easy isn't one of them. And you're definitely not cheap. How many of my cars have you destroyed so far?"

"I'm glad my feelings amuse you. Now go take a shower before I do something I'll regret."

Ranger smiled and kissed me on the forehead."This isn't the first time you've spent the night here, Babe. And Ella already likes you. She was hoping we would end up together. Don't worry about it." And he got out of bed.

Life must be simple when you're a man. No complicated emotions to think about. Men can walk around naked without worrying about what they look like. Of course, I thought to myself, watching Ranger walk into the bathroom, Ranger didn't have to worry. He looked entirely edible naked. Men also don't seem to care if people gossiped about them, or about the person they're sleeping with, but I was raised in the Burg. And in the Burg, if you were born female you had a certain set of rules to follow. And if you didn't do as you were expected, the whole town got involved.

Which reminds me, I never got the dreaded phone call from my mother last night. I didn't think she'd be shocked by the news, but I also didn't think it was going to make her very happy. Ranger's job is more dangerous than Morelli's. And he doesn't seem to be interested in getting married. So in my mother's book, this was two strikes against him, already. I didn't know if I should go over to my parents' house first thing and get it over with, or take the coward's way out and avoid the unpleasant. I opted for avoiding my mother. When in doubt, go with what you know.

I got out of bed, and crossed the room to Ranger's walk-in closet. I grabbed the terry cloth bathrobe that was hanging by the doorway. The robe was bought for Ranger but he never wore it. Ranger wasn't a robe kind of guy. He was either naked or dressed. Ranger didn't do lounging around. I, on the other hand, hated doing the hair-makeup- getting-dressed thing. And I'm not a big fan of being naked. So, from the first time I'd stayed in Ranger's apartment, the robe has become mine.

I walked to the kitchen and, as expected, Ella knocked five minutes later. I opened the door and Ella came in with a tray of breakfast food, and a lot of energy."I knew you were here," Ella said to me, smiling."I brought you an omelet and coffee along with Ranger's usual breakfast. I hope that's okay."

"Yeah," I said,"an omelet is perfect."

In any other place but Rangeman someone knowing where you are, and what time you got there, would be a little creepy. But I've worked in the control room and I've stayed in Ranger's apartment, so the loss of privacy is something you eventually get used to. The smile on Ella's face, however, made me nervous. She looked like she knew what went on last night and was very pleased by it. I knew that the front gate, elevator, garage, and Ranger's foyer were all monitored. But I never thought to ask Ranger how Ella always knew when I stayed over. I hope it was Ranger telling her, because the thought of the control room calling Ella and informing her of my whereabouts, was way beyond my comfort zone.

"Would you like me to set the table in the dining room for you?" Ella asked.

"No, that's okay. The kitchen will be fine."

Ella put the tray down on the breakfast bar and turned to me,"I don't usually get involved in Ranger's business, professional or personal, but I just wanted to say that I'm happy for the two of you. Ranger's a good man. And he deserves all the happiness in the world, and you definitely make him happy."

I didn't know what to say. I was speechless. Ranger was right. I didn't need to worry about Ella having a bad opinion of me.

She gave me a brief hug, and turned to leave the kitchen."If you need anything," Ella said,"just let me know."

"Thank you," I said, walking with her back to the front door. She left as quickly as she came. I closed and relocked the door and went back to the kitchen to wait for Ranger.

I was sitting at the bar pouring coffee when he walked in a few minutes later. Ranger was dressed in black Rangeman tactical gear, his hair still damp from the shower. If I didn't enjoy looking at him so much, I'd complain about the fact that all Ranger had to do is take a shower and he came out looking perfect. While even on my best days, I still have to rely heavily on mascara and hair gel.

"You just missed Ella," I said to Ranger.

"I can see that," he said, sitting down at the bar."Did she insult you? Demand that you leave?"

"Very funny," I said to Ranger."She did the opposite. She said that I make you happy."

"You do," Ranger said."Not to mention angry, frustrated, and exasperated."

"Admit it," I said to Ranger, "your life would be boring without me."

"Maybe not boring," Ranger said, taking a whole-wheat bagel from the basket Ella brought,"but I'd definitely worry less."

"What's to worry about?" I asked, digging into my omelet.

"How much time do we have?"

"I told you, you don't have to worry about me, " I told him, "I can take care of myself. I thought you would've given up on the safety lectures by now."

Ranger looked at me with dark eyes."You should know better than anyone else, Babe, that when I want something I don't give up until I get it."

I thought back to last night. Yep. He got what he wanted all right. And then some. We both did.

"What else could you possibly want?" I asked him.

"I want you to be more careful." Ranger said."I also want you to call me when you're ready to go after your skip. I'll be going with you."

This didn't sound good. On one hand, Ranger coming with me ensured that my skip would be caught and I would have money to pay my rent. On the other hand, just because we were sleeping together doesn't mean he gets to tell me what to do."Are you going to spend your days following me around now?"

"Not all of them."

I blew out a sigh. "I thought Morelli was unreasonable when it came to my job," I said to Ranger."But you might be worse. What about all that stuff about not asking me to change my life or my job?"

"I didn't ask you to change your career," Ranger said,"I asked you to call me so I could go with you."

"Isn't that the same thing?" I asked him.

"No," Ranger said to me."And I remember telling you that I'd step in if I thought you were in danger."

"But I'm not in danger. No one is after me." Not that I know of, anyway."And I don't think going after a drunk naked guy warrants a bodyguard. "

"Babe, I'm only going as back-up so no one tries to shoot, kidnap, or attack you," Ranger said."Admit it, your track record isn't all that good."

Okay, he had a point, but I didn't have to agree with it.

We finished breakfast and cleaned up the kitchen. Ranger went to finish getting ready for work. When he came back out he had his gun holstered at his hip, and his jacket in his hand. I followed him to the front door, and watched as he pocketed his keys for the Turbo.

Ranger wrapped his fingers around the big shawl collar on my robe, and pulled me flat against him."I'll be out most of the morning," Ranger said."But I should be back at Rangeman by noon. I'll be available any time after that to go with you."

"This is just about Stark Street, right?" I asked him."You're not really going to insist on going with me on every case I get. And what about you? Do I get to butt into you're work now that we're together?

"You can try," Ranger said.

"But will it get me anywhere?"

"Maybe," Ranger said, wrapping his arms around me, pulling me even closer.

"That's not fair," I said to him,"you're trying to distract me."

"Is it working?"

I blew out a sigh."How about we agree to give each other space when it comes to our jobs," I said to Ranger. "I'll try not to be so nosy. And you can stop being so protective."

"Babe," Ranger said."I like your body the way it is. I don't want to see any bullet holes in it."

"I'm not going to get shot today," I told him, praying I was telling the truth.

"I'll see you this afternoon."

"Is there any way to convince you that I don't need help?" I asked him.

"No," Ranger said, brushing a light kiss over my lips.

Somehow the belt on my robe slipped and Ranger's hands found their way inside. His fingertips traced my ribcage and skimmed down my spine. Ranger gripped my hips and held me to him, his lips touching mine.

"If you let me have my way on this," Ranger said,"I'll make it up to you tonight." Then he kissed me. The kiss was slow and deep, and I was thinking less about work and more about what would happen when we got home.

Ranger broke from the kiss, and looked at his watch."I'm late," he said.

"Whose fault is that?"

"Yours," Ranger said, giving my body a once over."You know how much I like seeing you in my robe and nothing else."

I looked down at myself. Ranger had the robe untied, and he was definitely seeing _everything_.

"Hey, my belt was tied when we started this conversation," I told Ranger.

He kissed me again, retied my robe, and took a step back towards the door."We'll finish this tonight." Then he was gone.

After Ranger left, I took my time getting ready. I started off with a long shower. Ranger's shower was my second favorite thing in his apartment, his bed being the first. Especially with him in it. And I figured if I took long enough, I could stop off at Tasty Pastry before killing time at the bonds office.

It was after eight by the time I deemed myself clean and looking presentable. I left Ranger's apartment and headed down to the garage. There was almost nobody at the bakery so fifteen minutes after leaving Rangeman, I was walking through the front door of the bonds office. I knew Connie would already be there, but I was surprised to see Lula come in not long after me. Once I looked around the office, though, I realized that Connie had most likely threatened bodily harm if she didn't, judging by the files piled up everywhere.

After we had polished off the doughnuts, I helped Lula and Connie out with the filing before asking Connie if I could use her computer. While I was there it wouldn't hurt to take advantage of the search programs that the office had. I was hoping to get more information on the people my FTA hung around with. If I could find Roger Jarvick before he made it to the bar I figured I wouldn't have to call for backup, since I wouldn't actually be on Stark Street which was what Ranger was concerned about. I knew there was a chance that this could blow up in my face, but I was willing to risk it.

Ninety minutes, and one numb ass, later I had a lead. It seemed Jarvick had lunch plans with one of his drinking buddies in a diner off of Market Street.

"You up for lunch?" I asked Lula.

"What kind of question is that? Do I look like a woman who turns down lunch?"

Even though she looks surprising good in neon spandex, I had to admit that she looked like a woman who never turned down lunch, dinner, breakfast, a midnight snack, or an all you can eat buffet.

Lula paused while gathering up her stuff, and looked over at me."You're payin', right?" She asked.

I managed to stop my eyes in mid roll."Yes. Roger Jarvick is meeting someone at Diamond's Diner. I'm hoping we can catch him there," I said to her."If we do, we won't have to worry about him being drunk and showing us his goods." And I could get out of calling Ranger.

Ranger might be a little annoyed at first, but I think he'd also be proud of me. Maybe. I hope. If not, I could probably find a way to make it up to him. An image of Ranger in the shower momentarily distracted me. He said we could pick up where we left off tonight. Maybe I could convince him to spend part of it in the shower. I shook my head to clear it, and focused on the task at hand.

"You ready to go?" I asked Lula.

"Hell, I'm always ready," she said with a suspicious pat to the ten pounds of leather she was calling a purse.

I wasn't about to ask what she was carrying, because I really, really didn't want to know. And what I didn't know couldn't land me in a cell right next to my skip, right?

We were finishing up the last of our fries when a red-eyed Jarvick dragged himself to a corner booth across from a man that looked only marginally better than he did. Looks like someone had a rough night. This was going to be a piece of cake.

Lula and I each ordered a piece of pie and we lingered over it waiting for our skip to finish up his lunch special. After his bill was paid, we stayed seated until he said goodbye to his friend and walked out the restaurant alone. We followed closely behind until he was about twenty feet from his car. I shouted for him to stop, and in the second he turned to look back at us, he reminded me of a deer caught in headlights. That was, of course, right before he bolted towards his car.

I wasn't sure if it was the belly full of food he had just packed away that slowed him down, or the thought of two hundred pounds of angry black woman that was currently heading in his direction. I was guessing the latter, but either way he wasn't as quick as he needed to be, and Lula managed a tackle that would have made any NFL player proud. As soon as Lula rolled off of him, and focused her attention on breathing normally again, I had Roger cuffed. We secured Jarvick in the backseat of my car, and headed towards the Trenton PD.

I was looking for a parking space in the lot when my cell rang.

"What are you doing at the police station?" Ranger asked.

"Umm... dropping off Roger Jarvick and getting my capture receipt."

There was a moment of phone silence. It was hard to tell if Ranger was still on the line, or if he had hung up on me.

"Ranger?" I asked."Are you still there? You're not mad, are you?"

"Babe."

I let out a breath. I was pretty sure that was the what-am-I-going-to-do-with-you babe. He wasn't going to give me a hard time about not waiting for him. That was good, since I had plans that included him and they wouldn't be nearly as much fun if he was upset with me. I had already gotten one man that I was after today. Now all I had to do was hand him over to the boys in blue so I could enjoy my reward when I got the other.


	3. Chapter 3

**This chapter has been a little challenging for me to write. I wanted to add something more to the story without interfering with what I had already written for Distraction Action. This is for readers who wanted to hear the conversation between Stephanie and Ranger after she got back from the police station. It turned out a little more serious than I had intended, but hopefully it worked with the story. All characters belong to Janet Evanovich. Any mistakes are mine.**

I dropped Lula off at her car, and since it was still early I went inside the office to get my capture check for Jarvick from Connie. I parked myself in the seat across from Connie's desk and handed the body receipt over to her.

Connie smiled."I guess I don't have to ask how it went, since I have to write you out a check."

I gave her the condensed version, not that she actually needed a condensed version. It was pretty simple."We got to the diner. We ate lunch. And then Lula tackled Jarvick." I was still pretty proud of how the capture went. Lula, on the other hand, wanted to be fully compensated for getting a scuff mark on her new pair of Via Spigas. I knew Lula did a lot of her designer label shopping out of the back of a car, so I wasn't exactly sure how to go about figuring that into her share of the capture money.

"Judging by the way you're smiling," Connie said."I'm gonna guess that you're not making that up."

"I swear, it really did happen that way, but the hard part of my day might be coming up," I said to her.

Ranger didn't sound angry on the phone, but I may have still been a little worried that he was just biding his time until I got back before I heard more about it.

"Yeah," Connie said, handing me my check,"good luck with that."

I got back to my feet and stuffed the check into my bag."Thanks," I said."I may need it."

"Somehow, I don't think you will," Connie said to me."I've known Ranger for years, and I never would have pegged him for having a softer side until you came along."

I didn't want Connie to see just how much her words had affected me; that I was the only person he seemed to have let fully into his life, so I just smiled at her over my shoulder on my way out the door.

Of course once I was in my car, driving back to Rangeman, I thought maybe I should have taken a little longer talking to Connie. I mean, Tank was Ranger's best friend and I've seen the result of Ranger not being happy with him. Probably I was safe from an ass-kicking, but having Ranger angry or disappointed in me would be far worse.

Ten minutes later, my phone chirped just as I was walking into Ranger's apartment. I looked at the readout and saw my parents' number on the screen. Damn. I didn't want to get into it with my mother right now. I already figured I'd have to explain my actions to Ranger, never mind throwing my mother into the mix. Though sometimes it was easier just to get it over with. Then I wouldn't have to listen to her go on and on for an_ extra _half an hour about why I hadn't answered the phone in the first place. I blew out a sigh and opened the connection.

"It's about time you picked up!"

The universe must have been feeling charitable today, because it was Grandma Mazur on the line instead of my mother.

"It only rang twice!" I told her. I'm sure that Bell guy wasn't thinking about the state of my blood pressure when he invented the telephone. I swear sometimes the stress the darn thing causes is going to be the death of me. Okay, so maybe I was overreacting a little. So far, it has only caused a perpetual eye twitch. Probably a bullet hole was more likely to actually kill me given my current profession, but I still wouldn't mind chucking my cell into the Delaware River every once in a while.

"No time for chit-chat," she said to me."I gotta know the scoop."

I got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. When Grandma Mazur was this excited about something it raised warning flags because, more often than not, it somehow involved me. Or involved something that I didn't want to be a part of.

"What scoop?" I asked her.

"Save it," Grandma said."This is me you're talking to, not your mother. You can't snow me. What's going on between you and that hot bounty hunter, Ranger?"

Something caught my eye, and I looked towards the kitchen. Shit. The hot bounty hunter in question was leaning against the doorway watching me.

Apparently the universe wasn't feeling all that charitable after all. I didn't want to have talk about mine and Ranger's relationship with Grandma e_ver_. And especially not while Ranger was listening in. And he was making no attempt to hide the fact that he was. And people call _me_ nosey. Maybe they'll be a break-in or some Rangeman emergency that he'll have to leave to take care of. I waited for a minute. Damn. No sound of Ranger's cell phone ringing. No one knocking on the door. The only thing I heard was the sound of grandma's impatient breathing on the other end of the line.

"_Hello_? Are you gonna answer me? I ain't got all day."

"What are you talking about exactly?"

"I just bumped into Ivy Slaten at Giovichinni's market. She said she was driving down Hamilton yesterday and saw you and Ranger in one heck of a lip-lock."

"Um ... "

"I know she's as close to blind as you could get while still having a license," Grandma said, sounding a little indignant over that since hers was taken away after only a few days of getting one."She wouldn't have a license at all if she bothered to go to the DMV and get it renewed, but she figured what the State of New Jersey didn't know wouldn't hurt her. Anyway, I had to get my facts straight before I see anyone else, since I got a reputation as the head of the Burg grapevine to uphold. I know my favorite granddaughter wouldn't have kept news like that from me, so I thought she might have been mistaken. Though for your sake, I hope not. I know I wouldn't mind being in a lip-lock with that piece of man-candy. So what's the scoop?"

After shaking of the image of Grandma being in a lip-lock with anyone out of my mind, what she had said sunk in. I couldn't believe it. Grandma didn't know anything. This must be some kind of record. Okay, I promise to go to church at least twice this year. Or, at least once to say thank you. Grandma always knew everything before it even took place in the Burg. If Grandma didn't know about me and Ranger, then probably the Burg only suspected something close to it had actually happened. I had, maybe, a day before the news hit. I wasn't going to deny our relationship, but I wasn't quite ready to share it, either. The only people who knew about Ranger and me were Connie, Lula, and the guys here at Rangeman. I wanted just a few more hours of _us_ before the whole Burg knew and I would be forced to answer the inevitable questions that everyone would have. Probably the most common one being _'What about Joseph?' _

After I brought Morelli in when he went FTA and we started seeing each other, everyone just assumed that we'd get married eventually. It made for the perfect story. Reformed Burg bad boy helps divorced, somewhat confused, Burg girl see that marriage and children was what everyone needed to straighten their life out. Morelli had definitely overcome his past. And I might have been raised in the Burg and be divorced, but that's where the story ended. No matter how many times we've broken up, people still thought Joe and I were destined to live happily-ever-after in his little row house on Slater Street. Luckily, I've grown up enough to realize that marriage and children don't solve the problems in a relationship, it only magnifies the ones you already have if you're with the wrong person. And Joe _was_ the wrong person for me. I looked over at Ranger. The Burg also didn't figure in one sexy, dangerous, and powerful twist to the Stephanie Plum saga ... Ranger.

I knew, of course, that I had to tell Grandma about Ranger and me otherwise she would just make something up on her own that would no doubt be worse, just to have the better story at the Clip and Curl.

"If I tell you, do you promise not to say anything to Ivy, or anyone else?"

"Hot damn, it's true!" Grandma said."I knew you wouldn't be able to pass up that studmuffin for very long. After all, you are my granddaughter."

Oh brother.

"So, you won't say anything?" I asked her.

"You're not trying to keep Ranger a secret are you?"

"No! It's just that I think should give Ranger some time before he's subjected to the family." Actually Ranger wouldn't care either way, but I wanted some time before_ I _had to deal with my family, and Ranger made a convenient excuse.

"Yeah, I get what you mean there," Grandma said."They're not all like us."

Little did Grandma know that _she_ was the one Ranger wanted to avoid the most.

"And it's still so new for the both of us, that I don't want to share it with anyone right now."

"I can understand that," Grandma said."I wouldn't want to share Ranger, either. I mean Morelli is good lookin' and all, but he's got nothin' on Ranger. I knew right off the bat that Morelli was never the one for you."

"I knew you would understand."

"What if someone asks me?" Grandma asked."I'd hate to have to lie."

Yeah, right. Lying could be considered Grandma Mazur's second language."If someone asks, you can tell them. I'm not hiding our relationship, I just don't want everyone coming at me all at once." A thin trickle of people I could handle. A whole community, not so much.

"You can count on me, Stephanie," Grandma said."I always liked Ranger, and for more than just that package he's carrying around. I don't suppose ..."

"Um ... gotta go, Grandma," I said, hurrying her off the line."I'll talk to you soon." And I disconnected. No way did I want her to finish her sentence. I dropped the phone back in my bag before facing Ranger.

"Trying to save me from your family, Babe?" Ranger asked, obviously referring to my phone call with Grandma.

"No. Trying to save_ me_," I said, putting by bag down."Looks like you had an early day." Ranger normally worked non-stop until it was time for dinner. I looked at my watch, it was only ten past four.

"Client cancelled."

"That means we have almost two hours until Ella shows up with supper. You want to watch TV or something?" I was hoping for the _or something_.

"What I'd like to do is discuss Roger Jarvick?" Ranger asked.

Crap."Are you sure? I bet we could find better things to do than talk about him."

"Babe."

"What?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him."You said that you didn't want me on Stark Street alone," I said to him."And I wasn't on Stark Street alone. You should be happy."

He didn't say anything to that, so I took a breath and forged ahead."Ranger, you know me. I'm always going to be that woman you met at the diner. The one that does things her own way, no matter how backwards they appear to be. Nothing is going to change that."

"I know that, Babe" Ranger said."That's what I love about you. But it's also what makes me want to lock you in my bathroom."

Hmm, maybe he was having the same shower thoughts I was having earlier. I put that thought on hold, and tuned back into Ranger.

"And how you do your job isn't backwards, Babe. Unconventional, maybe." Ranger said."I don't want you feeling like you have to protect yourself from me. I just wanted to tell you that I'm proud of you," Ranger said to me."You managed to apprehend your FTA in the smartest, and least dangerous, situation possible. You don't know how many people would rather risk getting injured instead of spending a little extra time looking for an alternative. Today you learned something valuable about skip tracing," Ranger said, smiling,"even if you only learned it by trying to avoid me."

This is the problem with being in a relationship with someone who is a combination of Batman, Superman, and Rambo, and probably has God on speed dial, you can never get away with anything."So you're really okay with me not always needing help?"

"Steph, I trust your judgement ... to some degree," Ranger said, cupping my face in his hand."And I know you can handle things most people would never be able to, and I _am_ okay with that. You wouldn't be the woman that I love if you couldn't, but I want you to be able to ask for help when you need it. I can't chance you getting hurt because of a power play. Yours or mine. You may not believe this, but I don't always know what you're thinking. I may, at times, need help navigating your waters, so to speak. And when I want to discuss something with you it isn't always going to be for the reasons that you think."

That made sense. It also made me feel like I'd acted like a child."I should have called you, at the very least, to let you know the change in plans."

Yes," Ranger said,"you should have, but this also proves that you are good at your job without the added assistance. If we're going to make this work, Stephanie, you have to stop assuming that I'm trying to control you or thinking that I feel you're incompetent. I'm not controlling you. And I don't think for a second that you're incompetent. Everything I do concerning you, I do for a reason. You're not in a relationship with Morelli any more, Steph," Ranger said to me."And I'm not about to change into him. But I'm not going to let you get away with sabotaging what we have by thinking that I will. I wouldn't have hired you to work for my company if I didn't believe you could do your job. I also wouldn't have started mentoring you in the first place if I didn't believe you could handle being a bond enforcement agent."

Jeez, I thought to myself, Ranger must have just used up his allotted words for the entire year just to make a point, and to make me feel better. I couldn't help but wonder if this is what had made me keep Ranger at arms length up until now. Maybe I knew deep down that I wouldn't be able to hide myself from him. If I was being honest with myself, which I try very hard not to be, it could just be the simple fact that I knew Ranger could hurt me more than Joe ever could. Ranger knew more about me, and my feelings, in the first few months of us working together, than my family and Joe did combined. And that was probably why he kept telling me that he wasn't interested in a relationship. And also why he hadn't pushed me to sleep with him all the times he had the chance, because he knew that I wouldn't be able to let him go if I did. And I wasn't ready for that then. And maybe he wasn't, either. Now was a different story. I wanted him with everything in me the same way, it seems, he wanted me.

"Okay," I said. Who knew I'd be the one with the one word answers and Ranger would be the wordy one?

Ranger raised an eyebrow at me."Okay?"

"I acted immaturely," I said."I know that. And I really appreciate you saying everything that you did. I'm not good with this relationship stuff, Ranger, or talking about my feelings." Heck, sometimes I had a hard time even thinking my feelings, never mind saying them. Who knew Ranger, Mr. Secrecy himself, was going to be better at it than I was? "And I'm not compairing you at all to Morelli. I'm really not. I just don't want to ever feel like I'm a burden to you. That I'm something you _have_ to put up with. I now realize that's my problem to work on, not yours. And if I haven't said it enough ... thank you."

"For what, Babe?"

"For everything. For being you." I pressed a kiss into his palm, and looked down at my watch again. We still had more than an hour before Ella showed up, and I knew just how I wanted to spend it. I stood up on tiptoes and playfully bit his ear."Now, about that promise of finishing what you started ..." I whispered. With one arm he tossed me over his shoulder, fireman style, and carried me into the bedroom.


End file.
